‘Committed of the regions’ hold flag day

Supporters of Europe’s regions and stateless nations were determined not to be overlooked during last week’s grand celebrations.

At the European Parliament plenary session in Strasbourg to mark the EU’s historic expansion, the world’s media looked on as flags from each of the ten new member states were hoisted aloft outside the building.

In a bid not to be outdone, however, regional deputies later held aloft the flags of Scotland, Wales, the Basque Country, Catalonia and Galicia during a Parliamentary enlargement debate which followed.

They did so, they said, to highlight the need for recognition of the rights of Europe’s regions.

There is something splendidly parochial about the state-aid investigation launched last week by the European Commission’s competition department into JC Decaux, a French advertising company. The question …